Pill or lozenge machine



2 Sheets--S-heet I..

(No Model.)

G. A. SMITH.

PILL AND LOZENGB MAGHINE.

No. 385326. Paten-tedJuneQG, 1888.

WITNESSES:

INVENTQR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) r

4 G. A. SMITH.

PILL AND LOZBNGE MAOHINE. No. 385326. 4 PatntedJune 26, 18'88..

WITNESSES: NVENTOR.

i I through the spindlc and a plan of the feed-cup.

NiTnD TATES GEORGE A. SMITH, OF NORRISTOWN, ASSIGNOR TO SMITH &t CALDXVELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PILL OR LOZENGE MACHNE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385326, dated June 26, 1888.

Application filed June 18, 1887. Serial No. 2413770,

(No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concerns Be it known that I, GEORGE A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pill or Lozenge Machines; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to IO the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the matrix of a pill or lozengemachinewith my improvements applied thei-eto. Fig. 2s a horizontal section Fig. 3 is an elevation of my improvcments in position, showing the Operating cross-head of the pill-machine in vertical section. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of my i'nprovemcnts.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the feed-cup. Fig. G is a perspectve of the jaws. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, of the lower part ot' the spindle and attached parts. Fig. S is a plan of the adjustablejaws separated and inverted. Fig. 9 is a plan, in- Verted, of the false bottom. Fig. 10 isaplan of the sweep-plate and standard. Fig. 11 is a detail Vertical section of the feed-chamber or charging-box. Fig. 12 is avertical detail section. Fig. 13 is a perspective of the spindle and 'false bottom.

My improvements 'elate particularly to the pill and lozenge machine for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me, dated January 16, 1885, No. 320,447, said improvements having for their principal object to provide a force-feed for such machine, said feed being adjustable to regulate the quantity o'tmaterial to form a pill or lozenge, or

40 the extent of conpression thereof.

My improvements consist in the pecnliar Construction and combinations o'fparts,hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A

'epresents a chargingbox for supplying the powder to the holes in the matrix W, in which the compression of the pill or lozenge is effected, said cl'iarging-box in use being located directly over said matrix, the latter revolving below it. Said charging-box is provided with an arm, A', by means of which it is Secured to one of the standards D' of the machine. The chargingbox is open at the top and has a discharging-hole, a, in its bottom A, through which the 'powder fed to the matrix is ejected.

B represents a false bottom or circular plate above the bottom A said false bottom being Secured to a vertical spindle, G, to which a rotary motion on its aXis is commnnicated, as hereinafter described,the spindle and false bottom rotating together. Said false bottom has a discharging-opening, F, which once at every revolution of the false bottom passes over the opening a in the bottom A To rcgulate the size of the opening in the ;false bottom so as to adjust or increase or decrease the amount of powder discharged at each revolution, I provide the following construction:

G G' are two segmental plates, fastened to each other by a rulejoint connection at g, the pivot or pintle of said joint being a screw, g which passcs into the false bottom B. Such jaws may be swung apart or brought toward each other at their free ends, or the ends diametrically opposite their joint. They are constantly urged to move toward each other by two pressure-springs, H H, in openings b' b' in the false bottom B, and pressing against pins g 9 which p'ass down from the segmental plates G G' into the openings or slots b' b'. So The plates G G' have slots g"' g through which pass the shanks of screws g 9 which enter threaded openings in the false bottom B, whereby the said plates may be held fast to the bottom B or prevented from springing up 5 from the latter. The plate G has Secured to it by screws t i a block, I, of the peculiar shape shown, said block comprising a plate, i', and a depending` boss, t which enters the opening F in the false bottom, said boss being slotted at t the inner end of the slot being of curved or circular form, as shown. The p'late Gr' has a similar block, 1 secured by screws t passing through its plate i its boss i being of such size that it will enter the slot in the boss 73 5 XVhen the segments G and G' are brought as close together as possible, the opening between them will be circnlar in form and of the minimum diameter, while when such segments are moved apart such opening assnmes a slotted IOO or elongated form of increased diameter or capacity; hence by moving the segments G G' toward or from each other the cnbical area or Capacity of the discharge-opening of the false bottom may be adjusted. To move said segnents apart against the influence of the springs H, which tend to press them toward each other, I provide a sleeve, K, which encireles the spindle C, and may be slid thereon by means of a swivel-nut, L, on the spindle C, which nnt engages with' the upper threaded end of said sleeve, the lat-ter having a lateral screw, k, which enters a vertical slot in such spindle, so' as to pernit the sleeve to be slid np and down thereon, but to prevent independent rotation of the said spindle and sleeve. The lower edge of the sleeve Kis formed with a bevel projection or wedgejc which passes down between the scgnients or plates G G', so that when said sleeve is caused to descend it will force the segnents apart, and when it is caused to ascend it will pernit said segments to come together. To increase the depth of the opening in the false 'bottom or between the bosses i* i the bloelzs I 1' may be removed and others of greater depth or thiekness substituted therefor; or, in other words, interehangeable blocks I l may be adapted to the segnents G G'.

M represents a stationary adjustable segv mental plate, which is fitted in the chargingbox A at any desired distance above the bottom A The false bottom B, with its segments G G', rotates in the space between this plate M and the bottom A below it. .The plate M may be adjusted vertically by means of a set-screw, m, which passes through a slot, in', in the side of the charging-box A and enters a standard, M', which rises from the plate M and is fornied with a rib, m, on its back, which enters the vertical slot m' and is guided therein.

O represents a hollow post or 'socket rising from the plate M, and which reccives a plunger, P, said plunger being Secured to a horizontalbar, p. The opposite end of the bar p has a slotted opening for the reception of a guide post or rod, It, which is screwed into a projection, r, extending from the side of the charging-box A. Between the bar 1) and the projection a" is a spiral spring, S, which tends to elevate said bar, and with it the plunger P. The descent of the plunger is effected by means of the contact with its barp of a stud, t, which projects downwardly from a cross-head, (P, that connects the rods to which is Secured the compression plunger or die E' of my aforesaid patent. The stnd thas a screw-shank and is adjustable in a nut or hearing, t', so as to regulate the extent of vertical movement of the plunger P. When the die descends to prodnce a compression of the powder in the matrix, the plunger P is also caused to descend, and as the discharging-opening in the rotating false -bottom of the charging-box is then in alignment with said plunger the powder in said opening is ejeeted or forcibly discharged from the charging box into the opening of the matrix registering therewith. I thus secure a force-feed or forcible ejection of the powder from the charging box, instead of relying, as heretofore, upon the ilow ot such powder to the openings in the matrix.

I have found by experience that with some powdcrs and under certain conditions the flow of powder would be seriously interfered with, and hence the matrix-openings would not be duly or sufficiently charged. This diffienlty is entirely overcome by the use of the force-feed, as the required amount of powder can always be ejected by such feed from the chargng-box, no matter what the condition of the powder itself, whether perfeetly dry or in the gummy or slicky condition which some powdcrs will acqnire under certain conditions of temperature or hu nidity oftheatmosphere. As it is also desirable to vary the amount of powder supplied to the matrix in order to increase or diminish the size of the pill or lozenge or the extent of compression ot' the latter, I obtain this result by the adj ustable segmeuts on the false bottom, which provide means for adj usting the area or capacity of the discharge-opening in the latter. The vertcally-adjustable plate M, in connection with the interehangeable blocks I I' of various szes, as already mentioned, serves as a medium for varying the size of the powder-charge, as said plate requires to be raised or lowered according to the height or depth of the blocks on the adjustable segments G G', as the blocks I l' on such segment-s pass just below the under side of said plate M, the latter Operating to sweep off any excess of powder above the top of said plates I I'.

The rotation of the spindle O and false bottom is accomplished by means of a sleeve, U, which is fastened by screws u u to the die crosshead (2 so that when said cross-head reciprocates vertically the sleeve will travel with it. Said sleeve is in the form of a snoothly cored or bored box having an internally-projeeting pin, 10 carrying an anti-frietion roller or collar, a', which entersaspiralincline or agroove,

0 in the spindle C. Said spiral groove leads' into a vertical slot or channel, 0 below it, so that when the plunger P deseends and forces the powder down out of the discharge-opening in the false bottom into the then registering opening in the matrix below said false bottom will dwell or be at a state of rest and will not IOO IIO

begin its rotation until the plunger is' out of the opening F.

In operation as the plate or false botton B rotates its opening fills with powder from above. When the opening passes under the plate M, the latter sweeps off or removes any eXcess of powder. When the dischargingopening F comes beneath the plunger, the

plate dwells and the plunger ej ects the powder into the matrix-opening below. The size of the discharge-opening in the plate B-may be regulated without stopping the machine by merely turning the nut L.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with the eharging box or chamber A, of the rotating plate or false i &35,326 3 bottom B, having a discharge-opening, and a plunger P, arranged and Operating to forcibly ejeet powdefrom said opening, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the charging-box A and a rotating plate or false bottom, B, having a discharge-opening, of a sogmental plate, M, above said false bottom or :votat-ing plate, snbstantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the charging-box A and false bottom or rotating plate B, of the adjnstable segmental plates G G ,fOY acljusting the disohargeopening in said false bot-tom or rotating plate B, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the charging-box A and rotating plate or false bottom B, having a dischargeopening, of the vertically-adjustablesweep-plate l\1,substantia1ly as shown and described. i

5. The oonbnation, with the charging-box A, of rotating plateor false bottom B, pivoted segmental plates G G', springs H H, and adjustable sleeve K, having a wedge or tapered projeotion, substantially as shown and de scribed.

6. The eonbination, with charging-hox A, of rotating plate or false bottom B, having a clischarging-opening, sweep plate M, feedplunger P, having bar 1), and spiral spring S, with the cle orosshead d and rod t, whereby when the die descends the plunger will be moved downwardly, and when said de s `raised the plunger will be elevated, substantially as shown and described.

7. The oombinaton, with the eharginghox A and rotating plate 01' false bottom B, having a (lischa'ging-opening, and plnnger P, of spndle O and sleeve U, Secured to erosshead (1 said spindle having a spiral incline leading into a straight groove, whe-eby said plate wll be rotated by the spindle and will dwell when the plunger is in the opening of the diseharging plate, substantally as shown and c1eseribed. i

8. The combination, with the rotating plate or false bottom B, having a dsoharge-opening, F, of the plates Gr G' and the detachable interohangeable blocks I 1', substantially as shown and described.

In testimony'that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this Gth (lay of April, 1886.

GEORGE A. SM ITH.

XVitn esses:

M. D. CONNOLLY, R. DALE SPARHAWK. 

